Marriage of Kinship
by Saria118
Summary: After the loss of Ashi, for his land Jack agrees to arranged marriage meetings after several failures, jack meets a woman who he finds more in common with than he ever thought. It might not be love but they have an understanding.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Takes place a few years after the end of the finale. Kind of a different take on a fic I've seen a few times. My first fic with a legit OC._

* * *

Discomfort radiated off his form in waves, directly felt by those around him. Jack did not wish to be in this situation, but there was little choice to be had. That was made more apparent with the excited crowd chattering as the palanquin came ever closer. These people deserved a proper leader, no matter how he felt.

"Don't look so tense my son." His mother whispered taking hold of his hand lightly. "It's only a meeting." Her words though soothing were patronizing as well. This was the first meeting of six others, each more agonizing than the last. That day was almost four years ago and the towns people grew anxious that their Prince remained unwed. His parents too old to bear another and with no direct relatives, the fear that this might be the end of the line was all too real. So begrudgingly Jack agreed to these arranged marriage meetings. None went very well.

"I have heard rumors that this one is quite…..abrasive." His father cautioned. "I only ask you do not offend her, her family is a good ally." From what Jack recalled her family lived just west of them and did much trade, it would not do to lose that. "But chances are also good she may do so herself." He joked and Jack laughed lightly with him stopping when the palanquin dropped to the ground. Looking truly like the Emperor he was he stepped forward to great the couple that exited.

After a few moments of pleasantries the man and his wife approached Jack. "So this is the man who defeated Aku, I am honored to meet you." He said bowing, and Jack followed suit. "I am proud to introduce my eldest daughter Yumi." The lord announced and slowly the woman stepped out.

She was striking to say the least, tall and thin with a long face to match and skin so pale he wondered if she ever saw the sun. The most notable thing though was her hair, deep dark black that fell to the ground trailing with her kimono at each step even while being held up in an intricate style atop her head. She must have been growing it all her life and Jack wondered why?

From the mutterings of the crowd it was easy to see she was a great beauty but Jack could not help but compare and be left wanting.

When she stood before him however, at nearly equal height, Jack felt himself under scrutiny. Sharp eyes took him in as her face stayed utterly neutral behind a fan. It made everything all the more uncomfortable. "I expected you to be taller." She finally said her voice deep and low. Before Jack could say a word her parents seemed to give a disapproving look. "I apologize for my rudeness I mean only that stories of you have been quite exaggerated I would suggest that write down your tale before it becomes more legend than truth." His father was right she was quite abrasive.

"um I will take that into consideration…" He replied unsure. It was a good idea yet her steady gaze made him feel as though anything he said would be wrong. Jack offered her an arm to walk inside but she seemed to refuse to drop her fan. This Yumi was odd to say the least.

Walking silently through the halls behind their parents Jack could not help but notice two more oddities about her manner of dress. A pendent hung off her neck, plain, simple and almost crude in design, compared to the finery she wore it stuck out like a sore thumb. But then what was more concerning was was how her kimono was tied right over left, that couldn't be an accident could it?

"If you keep staring I'll think you indecent." She remarked dully and Jack blushed in embarrassment.

"No no I did not mean to stare." He confessed seeing her roll her eyes in response. "Its just that pendent, is very um unique I was wondering if there was a story about it." For the first time Jack saw true emotion on this woman face, it definitely meant something. But then another look from her parents seemed to stop her.

"It was a gift from a child in our land, I hadn't the heart to refuse." She was not lying, not fully anyway, but there was more to it than that. Something in her eyes reminded him of himself.

* * *

The meeting from there droned on as the others had, he sat in silence at the table as their parents spoke. Yumi's lord parents sang praises of her accomplishments and what marriage to her would give them. Flower arranging, dancing, poetry, sewing, music, all the same trivial things. She looked as though she never worked a day in her life, all too thin and delicate, it seemed a strong enough breeze might blow her over. Despite her size Ashi always….damnitt he was doing it again. He needed to stop that no woman in any time would be able to stand on equal to her in his eyes, he needed to stop tormenting himself.

"You have been quiet." Came that same dull tone, as though she had seen and done everything there was to do in this world. "If you find me distasteful come out and say it." He glared at that fan of hers, he could hardly tell what she was thinking with it covering most of her face.

"I do not even know you yet." He defended himself only to hear her scoff.

"And yet you've already decided who I am." She shot back.

"Have you not done the same to me?" He smirked when her fan dropped just slightly. The victory was short lived however when he saw a smirk grow on her newly revealed face.

"I must say you are more observant than I first thought." She replied cooly pointing at him over the table with the fan, oddly proud. And her parents seemed strangely pleased for the first time.

"Well well why don't we let you two speak more freely." Yumi's mother announced almost giddy as she tried to drag her husband up. "You know I've wanted to see how this wonderful land looks again dear Emperor please do show us around." The woman was quite forceful and before Jack knew it he was alone with Yumi.

"Ha, one nice word and my lady mother thinks her task complete." He heard her sigh turning to find Yumi leaning back on her arm, hair pooling even further on the tatami, and fan back in her face. "Though I suppose I can't blame her, ten failures already…"

"TEN?!" Jack let out in surprise, gaining a curious look from the woman. "Ahem I mean um that is uh I am only surprised that you…" There was no way to fix this was there, he'd gone and offered the daughter of a valuable ally.

"Tell me truthfully." She started sitting back up. "This is not something you wish to do is it?"

"No…" He confessed. "But I..I must for my family and the people who depend on me I must be wed." This was about duty not feeling, nothing more nothing less.

"As I recall…" She started, "You were almost wed, to um hmm what was her name…. Ahriu?"

"ASHI" He corrected a bit louder than he'd have liked.

"Yes, I apologize." She did not seem to mind. "I heard that she perished on your wedding day or vanished." She appeared genuinely confused tapping the fan on her chin. "It seems to differ with whomever is telling the story."

"No….both are correct." He admitted solemnly and she gave him a few moments to compose himself. Speaking of Ashi was still so difficult.

"You're very cryptic do you know that?" She said with a hint of a laugh hidden by the fan.

Jack raised a brow at that, was she teasing him? "And you, you ask for honesty yet you lied when asked about your pendent." He shot back and her fan dropped again.

This time he saw her smirk. "You noticed that huh?" He nodded. "My lord parents instructed me to lie about the true origins of the pendent. Among other things."

"Why?" They seemed the honest sort why instruct their daughter in deception?

"They want to see me married." She answered nonchalantly. "With my younger brother the heir they worry for my future." A smile ghosted over her face then placing the fan on the table that separated them. Jack could understand her he found, surprisingly there was more in common between them than he had thought. "I am always asked three questions, I assume you have been meaning to ask the other two." So the pendent was among them. "Why is your hair so long? And why is your kimono tied improperly?"

"I would be lying if I said I had not thought to ask those." He replied offering her a smile. "So are you going to tell me the truth?"

"The answer to all three, is the same." She replied and for a moment Jack thought this might be some game of hers. That is until she said, "Hiro."

"Hiro?"

She smiled not wide, but bright and sorrowful all at once. "I suppose he is my Ashi." And suddenly Jack understood. "He made me this pendent when we were young." She raised her hand to the simple trinket. "He always praised my hair so I grow it." The hand raised further to flow through some loose locks. "And with him gone I feel a walking corpse….." Finally it landed on her chest where her kimono folded over. "My suitors do not care for me holding another man in my heart."

The room was silent as he took in what she said, Jack had judged her poorly, she too suffered greatly. This man she cherished and mourned, died before his time leaving her exactly as Ashi left him. "I'm sorry…" He watched as she composed herself, lifting herself up moving to stand by the opened door to the gardens.

"Tell me how long did you know your Ashi?" She asked her voice calm and still as ever but with her back to him Jack knew she was trying to maintain her composure.

"In truth not very long." He confessed with a bitter laugh. "But when I was with her it felt as though I had always known her, that we were always meant to meet." Carefully he told Yumi his story, a tale he'd only spoken once to his parents. How they met, fought, how he taught her the truth, how she saved his life, their fight against Aku, how she left, and the small moments in-between. Each word filled him such joy and terrible pain as he lost himself in memories for the first time in so long. Though Jack could not see her reactions to the tale, a part of him felt she did this more for his sake than her own.

"You really ought to write that story down." She quipped turning for a moment with a smile.

"And you?" He asked. "How long did you know your Hiro?"

"Since we were children." She started turning back to the garden. "He was the son of my father's favorite blacksmith. I was often brought along and Hiro would keep me company while our fathers spoke. One day he gave me this pendent and said 'One day I'll marry you Yumi'." She laughed bitterly this was obviously hard for her. "He was lucky my father did not hear him. I told him a blacksmith would never do he'd have to be something impressive such as the head General of my fathers guard. Little did I know he'd set out to do just that. I spotted him from my window among the recruits and the youngest at that."

"My mother had warned me all my life of men who would lie to me to help themselves and wondered if he was doing that. So I asked him why he was doing this and he said 'You always look so lonely, if I marry you I'll make sure you're never lonely again.' It was that moment that he stole my heart and any chance for me to accept another." There was a long moment of quiet as she stood there likely indulging as he had done. "He was so close to being able to ask for my hand when.…" Her voice shaking, Jack knew she was fighting tears. And he knew why she was afraid to utter the words.

"Aku." He said for her and saw Yumi's head nod.

"I begged him not to go, to stay with me as I cared for the injured…." She sighed heavily as though she were trying to force the grief from her body. Jack had truly misjudged her. "But he was always too kind for his own good. I loved him for that as well."

"He sounds like a great man." Jack offered as some form of solace. "I'm so sorry….. had I come sooner perhaps….."

"Stop." She turned and he could see the dried tears on her cheeks. "I'm tired of restless nights spent pondering what ifs, aren't you?" Jack had to concede to that, this was the world they had now and he had to accept it. There was no need to torture himself further. Well more than normal. Slowly she walked back, fiddling with the pendent between her fingers like prayer beads. Jack envied her a little, he wished he had something of Ashi's to carry with him always.

"You said the men you meet do not care for you because of your dedication to Hiro." He spoke once she was again seated and she nodded. "For me it is the opposite, all the women I meet seem almost excited after I or they bring up Ashi, vowing to help me through and that we'd find love together and…." He fisted his hands in frustration on the table, he knew they meant no harm but, "They don't understand…"

"When the sun has set no candle can replace it." Jack looked at her in awe at her words, that was exactly how he felt. "I read that once from a foreign book and its stayed with me." He wanted to ask her the name of the story so that he might read it as well but she spoke again. "I…I hmmm…" This was the first time she was fumbling over her words it was odd even with how short a time he knew her. "I will offer you a proposal. I do not think we will ever come to love each other, to be blunt you do not even seem the type I find attractive." He wanted to say he could say the same of her but bit his tongue to hear her out. "However I think we understand each other, and that we could be friends." She smiled bringing her hand over the table. "I offer you this candle to help expel the gloom."

Jack looked at her outstretched hand and thought of her offer. Not a new love but a friend who could understand. Slowly he smiled and accepted her hand. "You really do enjoy poetry I see." He teased causing her to laugh real and true.

"So you were actually listening." Yes they could be friends and for a situation such as it was it was the best either could hope for.

* * *

A/N: So i created Yumi with idea of a woman the opposite of Ashi. I'd seen a few after Ashi's disappearance pics where jack finds what is essentially Ashi in his time and i wanted a more realistic take (at least for now haha feel free to see my alternate timeline fic for Jashi). Anyway I hope you enjoyed, more to come later.


	2. A Marriage

For Jack this scene was all too familiar and it took all his self restraint to stay composed. Though he supposed Yumi was facing a different kind of strife as she walked passed their guests. He wondered how many times she must have pictured this day in her mind with a different man awaiting her? Well at least he knew she was just as unhappy despite what her face showed. She did say they needed to at least appear happy and keep people at ease.

Standing face to face they awaited the priest to begin the ceremony.

It went well enough as they passed the cups of sake amongst themselves, symbolically joining their families. Though they each passed on offering vows. Jack did not trust himself to speak and it was likely Yumi felt the same. The pair waited in silence and dread for the ceremony to finish.

If the ceremony was painful the reception was torturous. Yes Jack was happy to see his former mentors and peers from over sees again and Yumi was happy to see friends and family but rather than enjoy themselves each tried to drag out the festivities as much as possible. They ate their meal portions as slowly as possible, after every speech they tried to drag out the applause longer and after every performance they tired to get an encore. While they manage to make everything last longer than it any right to have it was all in vain for what they dreaded would come inevitably.

So they sat, in dressing robes, alone in what was to be their room in the dead of night. Nothing save for a few candles to light the room, each sitting on opposite sides of the futon. Of coarse they knew this was to come and tried to prepare but one can't simply prepare for something of this nature.

"Well ummm….we should uh get on with this." It was so strange seeing Yumi fumble over her words in another situation Jack would laugh but that would be too cruel now.

"Yes umm we should uh." He scratched his head in uncertainty. He'd felt awkward around Ashi as well but this was different. This was not nerves of excitement but apprehension. "So ummm should I.."

"OH!" She cut him off. "Look they left us a bottle of sake." Quickly she rose to get the bottle. "I uh I don't normally indulge…but given the circumstance…" In the dim light he could see a faint blush on her face. Yumi was such a direct and to the point person it was odd to see her so flustered.

"Um yes yes." Jack agreed though still to afraid to move, this situation was mortifying. "Perhaps it will help calm our nerves and make this situation less…." He tried to find the word as Yumi poured him a cup. "Distasteful."

"I did not realize I was so distasteful." She scoffed drinking her share. It was then Jack realized how insulting his words were and tried to take them back only for her to laugh lightly at him. "I am just teasing you. I thought you'd have caught on to my humor by now."

Jack sighed in relief. Yes in the months leading to the ceremony Yumi had displayed a biting dry wit that he always seemed to be at the receiving end of. In some ways it reminded Jack of the Scotsman though not as loud and far more witty. He very much doubted she would appreciate the sentiment. Still he could see her teasing was done with care and always in a friendly manner. She was right he could call her friend. At least in private.

Cup after cup they drank conversing about the days proceedings and how their guests acted. Weddings and feasts always seemed to bring out boisterous side of even the most stoic of people. Their faces grew red and words muddled, a strange state for either of them. Soon though they could not pour properly and took to drinking straight from the bottle that was quickly running low.

"So so tell me.." Yumi started laughing, her normally carefully crafted words falling to the wayside. "Tell me how um how far did you and your um Ashi go?"

"Hmmm" Jack was finding it hard to sit up let alone understand what she meant. "Oh we went very far. We traveled to many places…" He smiled and she burst out into laughter.

"No no." She shook her head. "I meant um oh don't make me say it!" Long hands covered her face in embarrassment, poorly, and the meaning dawned on Jack.

"Oh um yes well you see um…." He stuttered out blushing furiously.

"My my *hic* not as honorable as you seem hmm." She taunted.

"No no." He tried to defend waving his hand and failing at the simple action. "See it was the the night before and Ashi said she was so excited and um…" Looking back on it did she know what would happen the next day.

"Its ok its ok." She replied patting his shoulder likely harder than intended. "I mean I well um as well with Hiro…"

"And you taunt me?" He snorted.

"I…I had every intention of Hiro being my one and only husband!" With this she found the bottle empty and carelessly let it roll on the ground. "So what did you did you finds attractive of Ashi?" She asked lazily.

"Her spirit she was so so sure of everything, though that did almost kill me…" He started and was all too willing to ramble semi coherently about his lost love until he caught Yumi's dead eyed stare.

"No No no not that…" She sighed allowing herself to lay down rather clumsily. "Look I'll go, My Hiro had these shoulders…." Her arms flew up and out as if to mimic how wide they had been. "I could barely wrap my arms around them and they were sooooo firm and and secure and hmmm." She stopped to giggle hands falling back to her face. "Oh then his skin it was marred with scars but so so so sensitive. Mmmmm and his FINGERS! oh i know it must seem strange but he would rack them through my hair so so nimble and gentle….." She sighed and appeared completely lost in memories, but she seemed to catch herself once Jack hiccuped loudly. "Um well now you."

"Well ummm her eyes they were so so big and expressive," He began, remembering how she could almost speak with them. "her hands were rough and calloused but so gentle when she touched me….." His head grew warm at the memories. "Um her body was strangely soft even with her muscles… my hands fit in her every curve like we were made for each other…" His hands unconsciously moved as though she were there, like he could feel her. It warmed his head more than the drink. As well as another part of him.

Lost in his thoughts Jack did not notice as Yumi sat back up, stretching to extinguish the remaining candles. Darkness came over the room and he did not see her gently push him down so much as he felt it. Opening his mouth to speak in confusion Yumi's hand came down to stop him.

"Shhsshhh." If she were more sober perhaps the action would not seem so childish. "It's ok. In the dark we can be who we need to." Unknown to her Jack made a face of confusion, she could not mean what he thought he heard Yumi was just drunk and rambling. "You can call me Ashi…" Her voice barely a whisper as he felt her hair fall and warm breath inching closer, and Jack knew he was wrong. "Hiro…" She sighed, her lips gliding over his own, and soft hands moving down his neck.

He should stop this. It wasn't right. To indulge in memories like this. And yet with his head fuzzy with drink and the dark hiding her features, it was so very easy to pretend. He could pretend her lips were fuller as he kiss her back. That the hair he tugged down was shorter and coarser than it was. The delicate hands that pushed and moved over his now barred shoulders felt rough and stronger in his minds eye. "Ashi…" He sighed out when her lips moved down his neck and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

They'd hate themselves come morning but, fuck, just let them have this fantasy. It was all they had left.

* * *

As the sun over took the moon Jack and Yumi were a mess of tangled limbs, half worn clothes, aching heads and deep embarrassment. The night before was a blur to both of them but their state of dress and residue left on the futon told them they had done what was needed. Even if they could not look the other in the eye. Jack moved first, careful of Yumi's hair, shutting the blinds a kindness the both were grateful for.

"So umm ah." Yum braced her head in pain attempting to tie her robe, hoping for a small bit of modesty. Jack understood her pain as well the most he could manage was a loose loop himself. "It would seem we did what we uh needed to."

"Yes…" He sat down his back against her own. "It seems we did…" That brief moment of pleasure from the night bit back them both now. Darkness could not hide what they'd done now.

"If the gods are kind." She sighed and he noticed her move some hair likely to try and comb it out. "I will be with child and we won't have to do that again…"

"Yes…" Jack agreed his head throbbing.

"Oh um not that it was um bad…" She said quickly, perhaps believing she had insulted him.

"Oh no no I know…" He replied just as quick. "It just felt…." His head hurt too much to find the right words, not wanting to offend her either.

"Wrong." She finished bluntly. "I'm sorry it was my idea I…"

"It had to be done." Jack cut her off. "You were right to ummm." Nothing he could say could fix this.

The pair sat in silence, back to back, they were truly wed now. The realization and shame fell over them slowly. This was not how either of them wanted this day to be. Yumi moved first on shaky legs, Jack tried to help her but she waved him off.

"I'm uh..I'll take a bath." She managed to say as she fixed her robe. Silently Jack nodded though she could not see.

"I will be taking a ride." He replied, he wanted to clear his head.

"I will see you later then… " Her words were more out of curtesy than anything else as she left before Jack could reply, not that he really wanted to.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was a bit hard for that...awkward scene, sorry for how long it took. I researched Shinto weddings but its such a long ceremony I couldnt think of a good way to write it all. Anyway the scene for the morning after was suppose to mirror the scene between Jack and Ashi at the start of ep C, not sure if it was easy to pick up on or not.


	3. A New Love

The gods were merciful to them, nine months after the marriage Yumi came into labor. Three days after that Jack was allowed to see her and from what he heard speaking with the nursemaids he should count himself lucky. The labor was long and arduous to begin with when a surprise came in the form of twins. As such Yumi cursed his name and the gods repeatedly and venomously, it was likely were he there she would have attempted to directly take the pain out on him. Not that she could actually hurt him but it would do her and the babies no good.

When he entered the room though that anger seemed to have left, the peace offering of her favorite sweets seemed unneeded now. Still she accepted them happily when Jack approached, eager to see his children, with a warm smile she moved slightly for him to see the pair.

"They're beautiful." He smiled proudly looking down at the sleeping babes, small tuffs of black hair atop their heads that he gently brushed, one caught his finger squeezing so tight Jack thought it'd break if he pulled away.

"With what they put me through they ought to be." Yumi laughed lightly, before eating the sweet mochi. Jack smiled at her glad to see she was her normal self again.

"I'm sure they are sorry for that, right?" Jack laughed looking down at them wiggling his trapped finger. "You did not mean to hurt your mother." Yumi had to laugh at his cooing.

"She's a tough one, first one out barely a peep." She commented pointing to the baby that trapped his finger. Slowly she lied down next to them petting the head of the other. "This boy cries too much for a future emperor." Jack followed Yumi's lead and lied down, the children between them, his finger finally freed.

"A boy and a girl. We are lucky." He commented and she nodded, best she could lying down.

"They need names." Her eyes meeting Jacks only to look back down at them. They knew each wanted to suggest the same thing. It was almost a sign really a boy and a girl but…

"It would not be fair to them." He said quickly.

"Yes yes, we shouldn't do that to them." She agreed just as quickly.

"But ummm what about the first syllable?" He offered.

"Oh yes, that will do. And we will each pick one." She agreed.

"Only so long as the other approves of the name." Jack smiled.

"Yes, yes, I'll pick for the boy and you the girl." Yumi smiled and Jack silently agreed.

They laid there silently watching the infants sleep soundly, each proud parent deep in thought over what to name their children.  
"How about…." Yumi started catching Jacks attention. "Ah…Akira?"

"Bright Intelligence." He looked at the boy and smiled. "Yes, a wonderful name for a future emperor."

"Now your turn." She smiled.

"Let's see…" He pondered for a moment looking down. "Hitomi?"

"Hmmm Beautiful history." She smiled lightly at the girl. "Yes, it suits her well."

"Welcome to the world Akira and Hitomi." Jack announced proudly to the pair that could not understand. Yet as if on cue the pair opened their eyes. The cries of Akira were loud and harsh drowning out his sister's. With a groan Yumi moved off the the floor.

"Now now stop that." She chided already more use to the wails than Jack. "Sooth Hitomi while I feed him." She ordered briskly and he complied, glad for the chance to hold his child. But as Yumi moved her robe to feed the crying Akira Jack noticed something truly surprising. "What?" She asked dully noticing his stare. "It's not as though you haven't seen…." She blushed looking off still not use to the act of breast feeding herself.

"You're robe." He corrected her assumption, gently rocking Hitomi all the while. "It's folded correctly." In all these nine months he'd never seen her wear it in a manner not befitting a corpse. Not even on accident or during a daze in the morning.

"Oh…" Had she not even noticed? Jack pondered briefly. But as she looked down at their son greedily suckling, he had a feeling it was very much purposeful. "I suppose, I no longer feel a corpse." She smiled light and motherly, a word he never thought to attribute to her before. "I never thought…" Carefully she moved the boy off, motioning for Jack to switch. "I could love something so deeply and quickly before."

As Hitomi ate and Akira looked silently up at his father, he understood what she meant. "Neither did I." The twins were only in his life for a few moments and Jack knew he'd do anything and everything for them. It was something he thought he'd never feel again. "They will want for nothing."

"We have a lot of work to do though." Yumi added softly handing him his daughter again, holding them both for the first time. Jack only looked at her confused and she sighed. "You really were only taught how to fight. What would you do without me?" She smirked only for jack to laugh lightly, her insights were really a great help in the duties he slowly took over from his father. "We'll need to invite all your lords to see them, and of coarse your overseas allies, with that will bring marriage prospects never too early to start there…" To that Jack raised a brow causing Yumi to cough a bit in embarrassment. "Yes well, I guess we can ignore that. But we will need to search for tutors. I won't have my children ignorant of the world and their duties. We are simply lucky I had an interest in such things and taught myself."

Jack nodded. "Anything Akira learns Hitomi must as well. She is strong already I won't strip her of that." He wanted his children strong, both of them, no matter what society said they had to protect themselves and others. Yumi agreed though she was worried. "A private tutor though for those lessons, someone we can trust. Let the world think she's weak it can add to her strength." Jack did not appreciate deception but he could see the logic in it.

"But most importantly they must meet their grandparents." He smiled bright and wide lifting the babes up a bit. It cause Hitomi to laugh and Akira's eyes to widen in concern.

"Yes, you are right there." She laughed happily and all the worries washed away.

* * *

A/N: So yeah I totally trolled with that chapter title, but the pair are experiencing paternal love for their children which is a new love for them.


End file.
